ENGINEERING CAPABILITIES & VERTICAL INTEGRATION
Is part of the design process, our in-house team collaborate at the concept stage to ensure tooling and moulding details are built into the initial designs – this is true vertically integrated TEAMWORK in doing this the ADS2 team deliver robust design proposals without false promises.
This front loaded engineering and design partnership means that toolmaking can be developed faster – reducing the lead-time to T1 trial.
Vertical Integration means we understand, own and drive the moulding process further than our competitors. The vertically integrated manufacturing, engineering and design teams can explore the full-scale industrial process to understand how to deliver 'better thought out solutions faster'.
Is explored throughout the design and development process in partnership with the experts within the toolroom and moulding departments – here we are
able to focus on the correct process and material in order to deliver new exciting propositions including fully sustainable plastics, metal replacement and functional materials.
Is a benefit of the complete supply chain being an integrated single team. We are able to look at a design concept and identify how we can do it even if it crosses many manufacturing processes. Designs such as the Tennent's font would not be possible without the vertically integrated approach delivering a 'bespoke hybrid manufacturing process' to deliver the design intent.
This hybridisation of processes runs throughout the business allowing different manufacturing processes combined with different print technologies to focus on what can be and delivering what the customer wants.
Pad printing or Tampo is used for printing on otherwise difficult to print on products in many industries including medical, automotive, promotional, electronics. The process allows for direct print onto compound surfaces, our skilled print team can use multiple plates to deliver multi-coloured print using this process.
We have embraced the technology of digital print and invested intensively across multiple platforms, allowing us to rise to any challenges that are presented. The digital presses fall into 2 categories flatbed digital and roll fed digital.
The two flatbed systems use different ink technologies: the Mimaki system allows for high definition, high ink build-up that is UV cured. The Fuji system differs from the Mimaki system in the ink type, the Fuji ink is flexible when thermoformed allowing us to print UV cured high resolution files onto plastic and then thermoform them into shape.
Roll fed digital prints onto a flexible substrate that is then applied to the component, this allows for wrap decoration of parts and discrete high resolution labels to be created.
Many of the modern design executions undertaken cannot be delivered through injection moulding and print, we needed to be able to go further to provide decoration and form for lenses and POCM components this is where thermoforming delivers for the business. A pre-printed sheet is cut heated and then a vacuum draws the sheet to the shape of the tool. This process is flexible with fast track tooling and machining fixtures produced in-house delivering the highest quality components for our customers.
Our traditional screen print systems allow us to deliver ink through a fine mesh screen. This process delivers a denser colour and can be delivered on a flat surface or around the circumference of a rounded form.
Where the 5 different print technologies cannot deliver what's required, the vertically integrated approach comes into play. Due to all aspects of the print and manufacturing process being under one roof we can simply harness multiple technologies to deliver the required effect. A particular case was the Brewlock handle for Heineken, this used multiple print processes to deliver the desired effect onto a single label:
• Roll fed digital continuous tone pattern:
- delivering transparent metallic effect due to body
of the handle
• Flatbed digital white detail and fine tone-work:
- delivering solid colour onto the vinyl wrap
• Screen print:
- delivering brand specific spot colour in a super
opaque ink
With our in-house tool engineering department, mould tools are designed and manufactured to the highest specifications allowing us to reduce lead-times and to guarantee a better control of quality and accuracy.
As part of our production process the tooling is checked and monitored throughout the process and all components tested at T1 stage; this allows for any modifications and process improvements to be carried out in-house prior to serial production.